A Sri Lankan man attempted to transit through Taoyuan International Airport on the 13th using a forged Canadian passport, aiming to travel onward to Toronto, Canada. However, EVA Air ground staff noticed irregularities with his travel documents and reported the matter to the Immigration Agency’s Border Affairs Brigade. Upon inspection, immigration officers confirmed the passport was forged—and the man couldn’t even sing the Canadian national anthem. According to international convention, he was sent back to his previous stop, Singapore.
According to a United Daily News report on the 17th, Kang Qingnian, head of the Special Duty Team of the Border Affairs Brigade, stated that EVA Air ground personnel notified them after the man's travel documents and booking itinerary raised suspicions. When immigration officers arrived to investigate, the man was confrontational. He not only denied that his documents were forged but even retorted, “What’s wrong with the documents? Don’t delay my trip,” in an attempt to cover up his use of a fake passport.
Kang Qingnian pointed out that immigration officers, relying on their professional expertise in document verification and law enforcement skills, examined the passport’s anti-counterfeiting features and cross-checked the man’s personal information, confirming that there were multiple signs the Canadian passport was a forgery. In addition, the man was unable to answer questions regarding Canada’s capital, his residence, or even the national anthem—thus failing the identity verification and revealing his attempt to use a false identity. He eventually admitted to being Sri Lankan and produced his genuine Sri Lankan passport from his luggage.
Sent Back to Previous Stop—Singapore—as Per International Practice
Kang Qingnian said the man confessed to paying $10,000 to a human smuggling group for the forged Canadian passport, with the group arranging his travel route and tickets. He tried to use an international transit to reach Canada for work. After being exposed, the man changed his attitude and pleaded for release, saying the smuggling fee had been borrowed from friends and relatives due to his urgent need to work in Canada to pay off debts. After investigation, the Border Affairs Brigade repatriated him to his previous stop, Singapore, following international convention.